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☆ China's top diplomat to attend Munich Security Conference, visit Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

BEIJING, Feb 13 (Reuters) - China's top diplomat Wang Yi will attend the Munich Security Conference this month and plans to visit several countries including Russia, the Chinese foreign ministry said on Monday. Wang, director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, will also visit France, Italy and Hungary this month, spokesperson Wang Wenbin said at a regular press briefing. The 59th Munich Security Conference will be held over Feb. 17-19, with several global leaders attending, including U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris. (This story has been refiled to correct to Wang on second reference in paragraph 2)Reporting by Martin Pollard; Writing by Bernard Orr; Editing by Himani SarkarOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

One U.S. official told Reuters on condition of anonymity that a meeting between Blinken and Wang was possible at the Munich conference, which runs from Feb. 17-19. "I know there's been a report about a potential meeting in Munich, but I have nothing to announce today." U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan noted last week that Blinken had postponed his visit to China, not canceled it or sworn off future high-level communication with China. China's has reacted angrily to Washington's spying allegations, saying the balloon was a civilian research craft and accusing Washington of hypocrisy. "But neither side wants to handle scheduling in the glare of media attention, and both sides are dealing with the uncertainty of balloon-related drama."

☆ Top U.S., China diplomats weigh first meeting since balloon drama- Bloomberg News
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Feb 13 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is considering a meeting with China's top diplomat Wang Yi at the Munich Security Conference, in what would be the diplomats' first face-to-face talks since the U.S. shot down flying objects over the country, Bloomberg News reported on Monday, citing people familiar with the matter. In recent days, the U.S. military has shot down four flying objects over North America, most recently on Sunday, when an octagonal object was downed over Lake Huron, the Pentagon said. read moreReporting by Juby Babu in BengaluruOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

NATO has just completed an extraordinary survey of the remaining munition stocks, a NATO official told Reuters on condition of anonymity. "Those NATO (munitions targets) that we set, and each ally has a specific target, those were not being met for the most part (before the Ukraine war)," the official said. "I would be absolutely gobsmacked if the targets…were not increased," said the NATO official. After the Cold War, the production of ammunition had turned "quite artisanal", said the NATO official. "I don't necessarily think that within the next year our stockpile levels will increase massively," the NATO official said.

China's launch of a spy balloon on a high-altitude journey over the United States was unacceptable and irresponsible, he said, but he was postponing - not canceling - his visit. Biden has said the balloon needed to be shot down, but has played down both the security threat and the impact on U.S.-China relations. GIVE TALKS A CHANCEShort of a high-level visit, there are opportunities for diplomacy. "The Chinese don't want to look weak and they probably don't want to admit that they lied (about the balloon). President Biden is also under pressure from Republicans in Congress who insist the balloon should have been shot down sooner," said Glaser.

[1/2] Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy greets U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris during a joint meeting of U.S. Congress in the House Chamber of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, U.S., December 21, 2022. REUTERS/Jonathan ErnstWASHINGTON, Feb 6 (Reuters) - U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris is expected to discuss Washington's future support for Ukraine when she travels to a major European security conference in Germany next week, as Russia's invasion nears the one-year mark. Harris will travel to Munich, Germany, from Feb. 16 to 18 to attend the Munich Security Conference as Ukraine, still waiting on promised longer-range Western missiles and battle tanks, readies itself for a new Russian offensive that could begin next week. Support for Ukraine has included $29.3 billion worth of pledged security assistance and an unprecedented use of economic sanctions, including an oil price cap, which have severely impacted Moscow. Harris met with and briefed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy at last year's conference, which was held just days before Russia's Feb. 24, 2022, invasion of Ukraine.

In 2022, Rheinmetall made some 60,000 to 70,000 rounds each of tank and artillery shells, according to Papperger, who said production could be boosted immediately. A few days before the meeting with the new defence minister, Papperger pushed for an increase of Germany's defence budget. "The 51 billion euros in the defence budget will not suffice to purchase everything that is needed. Even before Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Germany was 20 billion euros short of reaching NATO's target for ammunitions stockpiling, according to a defence source. To plug the munitions gap alone, Papperger estimates the Bundeswehr (German armed forces) would need to invest three to four billion euros per year.

"On my way to the United States to strengthen resilience and defence capabilities of Ukraine," Zelenskiy said on his Twitter account early on Wednesday. Russia calls its invasion in Ukraine a "special military operation" to denazify and demilitarise its neighbour. His wife, Olena Zelenska, travelled to Washington in July to address Congress and has made several other international trips pleading for Ukraine, as have his aides and ministers. In contrast, his Russian counterpart, President Vladimir Putin, has spent much of his time inside the halls of the Kremlin. Reporting in Kyiv by Pavel Polityuk; Writing in Melbourne by Lidia Kelly Editing by Shri Navaratnam, Robert BirselOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

[1/2] Facebook Chairman and CEO Mark Zuckerberg speaks during the annual Munich Security Conference in Germany, February 15, 2020. REUTERS/Andreas GebertCompanies Meta Platforms Inc FollowSAN JOSE/WASHINGTON, Dec 20 (Reuters) - Meta Platforms (META.O) boss Mark Zuckerberg said the company is focused on building communications apps and developer platforms, speaking on Tuesday at a high-profile trial over the future of its budding metaverse business. Wearing a blue suit, a white mask, and glasses, Zuckerberg appeared in federal court in San Jose, California, to defend Meta's acquisition of virtual reality app developer Within. The FTC sued the Facebook and Instagram owner in July to stop the deal, saying its "campaign to conquer VR (virtual reality)" began in 2014 when it acquired Oculus, a VR headset manufacturer. It has accused Meta of trying to buy its way to dominance in the metaverse.

☆ Zelenskiy may visit Washington to meet Biden, congressional leaders- sources
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Punchbowl News first reported the possible trip, which would be Zelenskiy's first known visit outside Ukraine since Russia launched its assault on the country on Feb. 24. Zelenskiy is expected to meet congressional leadership and national-security committee chiefs from the Republican and Democratic parties and could address a joint session of Congress, Punchbowl reported earlier. Zelenskiy made a surprise trip to troops in the battered eastern frontline city of Bakhmut, underlining Russia's stuttering but persistent attempts to capture it. Zelenskiy last left Ukraine for the Munich Security Conference on Feb. 19, according to his official schedule. Her office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the reported visit by Zelenskiy.

☆ Russia unleashes its anger on Ukraine with brutal strikes — but it has big problems on the battlefield
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-11 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Cars are seen on fire after Russian missile strikes, as Russia's attack continues, in Kyiv, Ukraine October 10, 2022. Ukraine's leadership has said it will not be intimidated by the latest spate of attacks, with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy vowing to inflict more pain on Russian forces on the battlefield. Supplies running outDespite Moscow's recent show of strength in the last day or so, experts say Russia's forces are looking increasingly desperate and ill-equipped. "Russia's forces are exhausted. Destroyed armored vehicles and tanks belonging to Russian forces, after they withdrew from the city of Lyman in the Donetsk region in Ukraine on Oct. 5, 2022.

☆ Germany and the US aren't going to deter Putin with a few sanctions and frozen bank accounts. It's going to take a strong, democratic alliance to stop the war in Ukraine.
▼ + stars: | 2022-02-25 | by ( Mathias Döpfner | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Germany must abandon its pacifist foreign policy and stand up against Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Germany needs to form tighter ties with the US, stop using Russian gas, and confront Vladimir Putin. Stirred by the nuclear-power-plant disaster in Fukushima, Germany made an epochal blunder and created an unnecessary dependence on Russian energy and Russian policy. Time for a new German foreign policyNow Putin has started the long-feared war with Ukraine. The people of Ukraine need our solidarity, and words will not be enough.

The cruise ship is the biggest cluster of infected people outside China, with some 285 confirmed cases out of 3,500 passengers and crew. 6:00 pm: First coronavirus death confirmed in Europe, French health minister saysAn 80-year-old Chinese tourist has died of the new coronavirus in a hospital in France, French Health Minister Agnes Buzyn said Saturday, confirming the first fatality from the fast-spreading respiratory virus in Europe. watch nowThe cruise ship is the biggest cluster of infected people outside China, with some 285 confirmed cases out of 3,500 passengers and crew. — Feuer1:21 pm: CDC concerned with report of infected health workers in ChinaA U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention official said the notice from China's National Health Commission about 1,716 health workers infected with the coronavirus was "concerning." Dr. Nancy Messonnier, director of the CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, told reporters during a press briefing that there are currently no U.S. health workers infected with the virus.

☆ Chinese foreign minister attends Munich Security Conference amid coronavirus outbreak
▼ + stars: | 2020-02-14 | by ( Amanda Macias | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

MUNICH — Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will travel to Germany this weekend to discuss the outbreak of the deadly coronavirus, among other national security issues. Wang is slated to give a keynote speech at the annual Munich Security Conference, which begins Friday and runs through Sunday. Follow CNBC's live blog on the coronavirusSince the deadly outbreak, Wang is the first Chinese senior official to travel overseas. Wang's trip to Munich comes as German auto manufacturers brace for production and sale setbacks from the deadly coronavirus. His trip also comes on the heels of White House officials expressing doubts about the information coming out of China regarding the coronavirus.

☆ German president says Trump's 'America First' policy creates unstable world
▼ + stars: | 2020-02-14 | by ( Amanda Macias | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier addresses the opening speech of the 56th Munich Security Conference in Munich, southern Germany, on February 14, 2020. "Our closest ally, the United States of America, under the current administration, rejects the very concept of the international community," he said. In his opening remarks, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier warned that the United States would put its own interests first at the expense of allies. MUNICH — Germany's president kicked off the annual Munich Security Conference on Friday by taking a swipe at President Donald Trump's "America First" foreign policy approach. Read more: Nuclear weapons and 5G among national security topics at Munich Security ConferenceSteinmeier also accused Russia and China of amplifying global insecurity in pursuit of "great power" competition.

☆ Pelosi warns US allies: 'Don't go near Huawei'
▼ + stars: | 2020-02-14 | by ( Amanda Macias | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Her comments come after the Justice Department brought new charges against Huawei , accusing it of racketeering and plotting to steal trade secrets from U.S. companies. Pelosi's hard stance against Huawei represents one of her few areas of agreement with President Donald Trump. The Trump administration is working to isolate Huawei from developing a larger foothold in U.S. partner countries. Last month, the Trump administration expressed disappointment after the U.K. announced it would allow Huawei to have limited access to some British 5G mobile networks. "The United States is disappointed by the U.K.'s decision," a senior Trump administration official wrote in a Jan. 28 emailed statement to CNBC.

☆ Next two weeks will be critical for China in coronavirus outbreak, IMF chief says
▼ + stars: | 2020-02-14 | by ( Vicky Mckeever | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

China's National Health Commission on Friday reported an additional 121 deaths nationwide, with 5,090 new confirmed cases of the coronavirus. She explained that not only was this strain of the new virus, COVID-19, different than SARS but China and the world economy had also changed. China only represented 8% of the world economy in the early 2000s and now makes up a 19% share, she pointed out. She added that the world economy at that time was "actually in quite good shape," but was now more "sluggish." Physicians have likened it to the outbreak of SARS, which had a short incubation period of two to seven days.

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